American Government And Politics Today

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Representative Assembly

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A legislature composed of individuals who represent the population.

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Natural Rights

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Rights held to be inherent in natural law, not dependent on governments, John Locke stated that natural law, being superior to human law, specifies certain rights of " Life, Liberty, and property." These rights, altered to become "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," are asserted in the Declaration of independence.

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Social Contract

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A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.

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Unicameral Legislature

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A legislature with only one legislative chamber, as opposed to a bicameral (two-chamber) legislature, such as the U.S. Congress. Today, Nebraska is the only state in the Union with a Unicameral legislature.

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Confederation

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A political system in which states of regional governments retain ultimate authority except for those powers they expressly delegate to a central government.

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State

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A group of people occupying a specific area and organized under one government. It may be either a nation or a submit of a nation.

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Bicameral Legislature

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A legislature made up of two parts, called chambers, The U.S. congress, composed of the house of representatives and the senate, is a bicameral legislature.

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Supremacy Doctrine

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A doctrine that asserts the priority of national law over state laws. This principle is stated in Article VI of the Constitution.

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Great Compromise

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The compromise between the New Jersey and Virginia plans that created one chamber of the Congress based on population and one chamber representing each state equally; also called the Connecticut compromise.

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Separation of Powers

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The principle of dividing governmental powers among different branches of government.

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Madisonian Model

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A structure of government proposed by James Madison, in which powers of the government are separated into three branches: executives, legislative, and judicial.

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Checks and Balances

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A major principle of the American system of government whereby each branch of the government can check the actions of the others.

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Electoral College

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A group of persons, called electors, that officially elects the president and the vice president of the United States. The electors are selected by the voters in each state and in the District of Columbia.

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Checks/Balances: Supreme Court

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Can declare presidential actions unconstitutional.

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Checks/Balances: The president

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Nominates federal judges, can refuse to enforce court's decisions, and grants pardons.

proposes laws that are introduced by supportive legislators and can veto congressional legislation.

Can make treaties, executive agreements, and executive orders.

Can refuse to enforce to enforce congressional legislation.

Can call special sessions of Congress.

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Checks/Balances: Congress

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Can rewrite legislation to circumvent the court's decisions.

Confirms federal judges.

Determines number of judges.

Makes legislation and can override a presidential veto of its legislation.

Can impeach and remove a president.

Must confirm presidential appointments and consent to treaties by a two-thirds vote.

Has the power of purse and provides funds for president's program.

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Federalist

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An individual who was in favor of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and the creation of a federal union with a strong central government.

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Anti-Federalist

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An individual who opposed the ratification of the new Constitution in 1787. The anti-federalists were opposed to a strong central government.